Their Dichotomy
by druglordhoney
Summary: Nobody talks to Edward. He's the quiet, mysterious, brilliant enigma. Bella's the girl who confuses, frustrates and attracts him in to change his world. With smarts and music, these two souls fall in love, deal with loss and live life. A story on how one person affects you. High School- Modern day- All Human.
1. Chapter 1

**Their Dichotomy **

**They confused, frustrated and pulled each other in. With literature, music, and a common brilliance to bridge them together, both students learn how to save each other from self-destruction, slowly allowing themselves to accept loss, fall in love, and learn to live. **

**Chapter 1: Bohemian Rhapsody**

_Mama, just killed a man__, p__ut a gun against his head__  
__Pulled my trigger, now he's dead__  
__Mama, life had just begun__  
__But now I've gone and thrown it all away__  
__Mama, __d__idn't mean to make you cry__  
__If I'm not back again this time tomorrow__  
__Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters_

_-Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen_

His pen scribbled away at the paper furiously. His strokes were long and hard, but at the same time remained smooth and sophisticated. At the tender age of ten years old, he already exemplified the perfect type of dichotomy. His parents should've known how special their son was. They should've known.

The elegant words rolled out of his nimble fingers like paint from Picasso- not like soft Poetry from a ten year old boy. His father, Edward Sr, had encouraged his writing, gave him pens, prompts and paper. But his mother, Elizabeth, was a completely different story, of a different genre, printed in a different time.

"My goodness, Edward!" She would exclaim, dramatically throwing a hand across her faint heart, "Enough writing! Go learn a new song on the Piano!"

She had thrust a rosary at him one too many times, urged him to pray and seek God's forgiveness. For what, he never truly knew, but he was too respectful to ask his mother. Heaven forbid she ask him to add that to his unending (albeit invisible) list of sins. Elizabeth Masen was convinced that his son's soul was consumed by demons- that the material he read and wrote reflected the workings of Satan. She was convinced that the fluidity of his metaphors was a gift from the fallen angel, and she never truly understood why his first born was so hell-bent (forgive the pun) on reading and writing such morbid and morose material. His father would grin at him in pride; he knew he had a prodigy, but his mother would scowl gently, hoping for a musical genius instead. In music, there was no wrong. For words were unneeded in music, the tune and pace told the story. Thereby, her son would never be able to be vulgar. Words however, are stronger and need tangibility to portray their message. For this, Elizabeth believed that for his writing to be of any decency, well, he might as well write about daisies and dandelions. His father had scoffed at this absurdity.

He would offer up all the five mysteries to the Holy Mother and watch his mother walk away with a satisfied smile, gently playing with the large pearls on her neck, telling him what a good son he was.

"Son?" Edward looked up from his untouched lasagne and stared at his adoptive parents. He shook his head clear of his thoughts and tried to pay focus on the dinner they were having. Carlisle. Esme. This is where he belonged now, this was home. He would revisit the demons of his past later, he always did. In fact, even if he tried not to, they called to him to visit them anyway.

_I remember that day you kissed my cheeks_

_You opened my window to fly_

_I think you fancy the sky mom_

_Just wish you had said goodbye _

His fingers lightly traced at the words. His writing then had been just as neat as his writing now. He stared at the words, waiting for tears to engulf him for the night. He could never sleep unless he was physically exhausted from crying. He waited. He waited. He waited. The tears never came, but at the same time, neither did his sleep. He tried to remember a different memory. He thought of the pretty girl he left behind. They had built a swing together, using their uncles' old car tyres and her brother's ropes. They had a swing, a sanctuary. He thought she would always be safe with him. He loved her very much. With the golden crown of hair she had, she looked just like an angel. She always had matching dresses and shoes, and the biggest ribbons on her hair, and her voice was magnificent. She was the sole reason why he ever tolerated the piano. Edward loathed music lessons. He had a mean teacher who would hit his fingers if he missed a note. But for her, he tried. He would play a song and she would sing. They were remarkable together.

He tried to remember the tingling chimes of her laughter, the sunshine shade of her hair, he tried to remember her. Finally, the tears came.

His heaving body slouched down on his journal, and the action caused a few drops of coffee to drop on the page. At night, he wished more than anything to be back in Chicago, playing the piano for his mother, reading Tin Tin comics with his father, or picking flowers for his pretty neighbour. He felt homesick, but he would remind himself that those images were no longer there. There was no other home to go back to, none other than the one he currently had.

He fell asleep on his desk, his slumber turning out to be peaceful, just like the smile of his blonde angel.

_You tied ribbons on your hair_

_You tied them on your neck _

_You never came back down _

_Your chair was a wreck _

_You promised you'd hang out with me too _

He kissed his adoptive parents goodbye and drove with his adoptive sister to school. She kissed him, just like she always did and bounced away dripping in gold. If there was anything certain about Alice Cullen, it was that she always dripped in molten gold. She was created with sugar, spice and everything nice. That girl positively painted the asphalt in fucking pink. She was a force to be reckoned with, and her glowing personality, instead of pushing Edward's further into the shadows, gave him a small aura of shine, too. If anything, she was a fairy princess who sprinkled her magic dust upon everything she looked at. She was a fucking Tinkerbelle.

Alice was a wonderful sister. Being his biological cousin and adoptive sister, he loved her more than any other girl in the world- even more than sunshine hair. Just as he was about to leave his car, she halted her dance of a step and turned to face him, a couple of meters away.

"Hey Edward! Will you please tell Jasper to make a move on me this year?!" She blew him a kiss and ran away, locking arms with Rosalie Hale. Edward shook his head, slowly laughing. His Alice had been in love with his best friend for the longest time, and he could swear, she had more balls than the asshole he called his buddy. Like hell he will, anyway. He would be damned before any motherfucker laid a single finger on his beloved Alice. _Like hell._

Shortly after, Jasper stood up next to him, offering him a smoke with a giant grin. "I take it, she likes me?" Edward rolled his eyes and lit up the cigarette, silently contemplating whether or not he should burn Jasper's pretty face with it. He shook his head and decided against it. Well, it was their senior year, after all.

"Go for her." Edward murmured and Jasper arched an eyebrow at him in all seriousness. Edward replied with a shrug and Jasper dipped his head once, in a slight bow. Just like that, the approval had been given and the friendship of both boys remained just as simple as ever.

Edward was so caught up in his thoughts- as usual- that he failed to notice the girl walking towards him. With a soft 'oof' and a soft thud, they collided. A gentle impact of curves and muscles, accented with books all over the place. He grabbed as much of it as he could and gave them to the brunette in front of him. She mumbled awkward apologies and stuttered out excuses. He gave a curt reply and walked away. He was never fond of talking with people, and he wasn't about to start talking to someone over a mere accident. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder who she was.

Forks was a small town, and it was true that he hadn't been around his whole life unlike some of these kids, but he had been around long enough. He was sure he would remember such a pretty face. No. Her face didn't ring any bells. Perhaps she was new- but new in the last year of High School? How unlikely. Surely his sister would know her, but asking Alice would be feeding himself to the wolves. Alice would have a field day. God knows that girl didn't need any more reasons to be excited. She was happy enough as it is.

"Ma," Esme sharply turned towards her son.

He never called her anything except for Esme. Let alone something remotely closed to 'Mom'. 'Ma' was fantastic. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes and he began to question his own sanity in asking Esme. Maybe she would end up being worse than Alice... After all, Alice was related to Esme by blood... Maybe Alice got her energy from Esme... Holy...

"Yes, son?"

He almost laughed in relief and pressed on with his question. "Has anyone moved to town lately? A new family perhaps?"

Esme thought about it for a while. Surely she would know? Yet she did not. "Not that I know of, Edward. Why, dear?"

"It's just that I saw someone unfamiliar today in school, and I was wondering if we had any additions to our malnourished population."

He felt foreign, speaking so much about a topic he didn't exactly care about. To avoid conversing further, he kissed Esme on the cheek and hurriedly rushed back into his room.

Meanwhile, Esme was still flabbergasted at her eighteen year old son's casual use of 'malnourished population' and kiss on the cheek. Oh, she was having a field day. First he calls her 'Ma' and then he kisses her cheeks! Why, she must tell Carlisle immediately! She dialled her husband's number, wishing that he wasn't busy right now, for she was as ecstatic as a mother hearing her newborn say his first word. Esme could almost cry.

Edward opened his leather bound journal to a fresh page and wrote an entry on a different topic.

His topics solely revolved around his life pre-Forks, and for once he was about to write something else. He felt alien and different and so damn energetic. The words flew from his fingertips effortlessly. "_Vanilla_," he began writing...

_The innocence of the scent knocked me off my feet_

_Concurrently floating and drowning_

_You look like coffee and chocolate _

_Smell like vanilla and feel like sin _

_You're innocence, don't tempt me in _

Just like every night, he fell asleep on his study desk, his head resting on his journal. Except this time, he dreamt of a girl with the golden locks, and instead of the usual sky-blue eyes, little miss sunshine had brown orbs.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2: BROKEN SONNET **

I don't care what they say, I don't care what they do

Tonight, I'll leave my fears behind

Tonight, I'll be by your side

-Broken Sonnet, Hale

The second week of school proved to be just as boring as the first and Edward idly wondered if his entire Senior year would go by in such a way. He was so bored, he almost accepted Jessica Stanley's offer for_ 'Pizza'_. Almost.

He groaned when he found Alice and Jasper staring at each other lovingly at their table. He shouldn't have allowed Jasper to go for Alice. Now, all they ever do is give each other disgusting looks and hold hands. He awkwardly took a seat next to Jasper, suddenly fascinated with his own apple. At least it wasn't making out with his celery and orange juice. He heard a chair pull out beside him and he looked up, startled. Never, in his entire life in Forks, Washington did any other kid pay interest to him and his posse. They weren't outcasts- they simply didn't bother with anyone else. So whoever this intruder was was seriously thick-faced, suicidal or stupid. Rosalie would kill anyone who attempted to pop their bubble.

Speaking of Rosalie, where was she?

"Uh hi," Edward started, staring at the brunette who he remembered to be the one who bumped into him, "are you at the wrong table?"

Alice gasped, flicking Edward lightly at his forearm. "Edward! Don't be so rude. This is Bella, she's my and Rosalie's friend." Alice gave Bella an apologetic look and shook her head, "Excuse my brother- he's not usually this tactless."

Edward rolled his eyes and mumbled back a quiet 'sorry' to Bella. He noticed she didn't carry food with her so he gently pushed his tray to the brunette as some sort of invitation but she politely refused. Lunch went by uneventful. The chocolate haired girl didn't talk, he didn't talk, Alice and Jasper didn't talk and Rosalie didn't show up. He wanted to say a lot of things- ask the girl where on earth she came from, ask Alice where Rosalie was, Ask Jasper to quit eye-fucking his sister, and yet he couldn't move his lips. The bell finally rang and he left the stuffy cafeteria quicker than you can possibly say 'awkward'.

Rosalie was in Gym, looking the most horrible Edward has ever seen her in.

"What the hell happened to you?" Her blonde hair was in a messy bun (and Rosalie never did buns), strands falling down. Her typically red lips were void of any colour and the bags below her eyes were just damn scary. "Never mind, Rosie, I'm taking you home." Edward gave her one pointed look and pulled her out of the stadium. He didn't even bother taking the girl to the nurse's office.

Once inside the Volvo, Rosalie burst out crying. "Woman, no tears," Edward was petrified- he could not, for the life of him, handle tears. Anything but tears, "what's wrong?"

"I got an abortion, Edward."

He sucked in a deep breath and looked at his friend. Abortion? Rosie did nothing but plan her future. At thirteen, she had a clear book with all her dreams and plans inside it. She wanted a family, a house with a picket fence, a husband, a car tyre swing and a dog. Abortion? Rosalie noticed his look and urged him to drive. He revved his engine once, twice, thrice. At the road, Rosalie finally talked.

"Royce... well, during his last visit from College, we had sex. _Edward, don't give me that look_. Yes, anyway, I've been missing my period recently and decided to get myself checked up. I was pregnant and I was damn happy. My mother was happy, Alice was happy, my father was okay. But then Royce wasn't. The weekend, last, when I told him the good news- he hit me. _Edward, unclench those fists_. Anyway, he was going to break up with me for a girl named Heidi. I told him I was alright. I told him I don't need him. I'd raise the baby on my own. But, but, but...

"But, I should've known he wasn't done hitting me. He got two hits to my guts, noticed I was bleeding and sped off. I went to the police station because I didn't know what else to do. Chief Swan called for your father, but Carlisle wasn't in two nights ago... So this officer McCarty brought me to the hospital... They had to, they had to... Edward... They had to give me pills so I could abort the baby... Edward, he or she didn't even survive to be more than a month and a half... Ed- Edward..."

Rosalie Lillian Hale lost it.

Edward was at a loss. Rosalie was his most beautiful friend. She was frighteningly similar to him. They had the same antics, they had the same attitude. They had the same volatile tempers and if at first they couldn't even see eye to eye, they have come to have major respect for each other. They even tried dating before- but they were just too similar. It got boring after three months. In his whole life, he has never seen Rosalie in a status wherein she was less than perfect. So seeing her in such a state, he was scared out of his mind.

He pulled the broken beauty into his arms and hugged her as she shuddered against him. He allowed her to cry and cry and cry until she couldn't cry anymore. Slowly, her heaves became deep breaths and her fingers lessened their grip on his sweater. Edward's cold heart broke at the sight of her. She was so pretty, so beautiful, so much like his sunshine haired angel. He couldn't even imagine his _Tanya_ experiencing such loss.

But then again, Tanya was dead... He gripped Rosalie tighter as bile climbed up his throat and his own sadness threatened to make its presence known. "Take me home." Rosalie whispered against his chest. She climbed back over the console and turned away from her friend. "Rosie, I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you, I'm sorry Royce did that to you, I'm sorry we wouldn't meet the little boy in you... Rosie, I'm sorry that happened to you..." He didn't know what else to say, but he knew he had to say something. Surely, 'my condolences' wouldn't be appropriate.

She turned to him with a sad smile on her gorgeous face, "Boy?"

"Well, honestly—you're such a fighter. I think your first born would be a boy. Definitely."

She smiled at that. Yet Edward knew better. He knew that beneath the pretty face- there was a pandemonium. That the haemorrhage within her didn't only cause her veins to bleed, but her heart as well.

"I would've named him after you and Jasper."

"How do you even do that?"

"Uhm... Jasward? Edsper? Jed? Janthony? Ansper?"

"Rosalie, you suck at this." He gave out a hearty laugh at hearing his friend's lame attempts at naming her unborn. He knew the topic was touchy but he was just happy she was cracking a smile. "Jass and Jedd sound cool, for a nickname. How about Jared?"

"Jared would've been nice."

Edward pulled over Rosalie's house, "Will you be fine?"

"I'm always perfect," She flashed him a large grin, showing off her pearly whites, momentarily blinding him with her undeniable beauty, before kissing him on the cheek and walking off.

Jared would've been one good looking little boy.

Can you hear me?

I can hear you

Why are you pushing me away

I wanna stay with you

Can you feel me?

I can't feel you

Mama don't let me go

He stared at the words with disdain. Edward was feeling so much anger for Royce. How could such a bastard even exist in this planet? If only the guy didn't study so bloody damn far away, Edward wouldn't hesitate introducing his fist to the man's face. Royce dated Rosalie for two whole years, how could he just forsake that and beat her up? How could anyone even beat anyone up? He couldn't fathom the idea of ever laying a hand on a woman. Both his fathers- Edward Sr and Carlisle, loved their respective wives very much. He couldn't imagine a home where in a woman was treated with anything less than utter love and respect. If anything remained true and correct in Edward's messed up system- it was that women were gold. They were precious. They were meant to be loved.

Rosalie deserved that.

Alice danced into his bedroom, dropping a couple of books on his bed. "You've homework tonight, bro. And for the first time in six years, you have a class partner."

"What? Why! Which class?"

"Literature. Well, apparently, she was placed in music studies when she clearly wanted to take up Lit. So Mrs Cope switched her schedule today and you were supposed to teach her the ropes in class and what she's missed for the past week. But you were absent for the second half of the day, so she asked me to give you a heads up."

"Alice, who's she?"

"Oh shit! Sorry. It's Bella."

Bella? Bella... Bella! "The brunette at lunch?"

Alice gave a distracted hum of confirmation before leaving his room. Literature with Bella? Literature with Bella as a class partner? Well, it'll surely give him a chance to ask her that question.

_Where has she been hiding all this time?_


End file.
